Various types of cargo securing devices are used to secure an object/cargo with respect to a fixed reference point. Such devices may generally be attached at one end to the object/cargo to be secured and at an opposite end to the fixed reference point. Alternatively, these devices may be attached at two fixed reference points contacting and generally containing an object or cargo therebetween. In some situations, one or more cargo securing devices may be attached together. Still further in some situations, cargo securing devices are used to attach two items together or are used to generally wrap around a single item. Such cargo securing devices are capable of a wide variety of uses.
Traditional cargo securing devices often utilize a strap or cord, such as a rope or a vinyl band, to hold the object and hooks at the ends thereof to fix to the reference point or object. Elastic or stretchable straps/cords may also be used to provide flexibility in the length of the cargo securing device. These elastic or stretchable straps/cords, often referred to as bungee cords, have tremendous utility. Bungee cords are particularly useful to maintain cargo during transportation of the cargo. A typical bungee cord may include one or more elastic strands that form a core. The core is often covered with a woven nylon or cotton sheath, although some bungee cords may be made entirely of elastic strands.
Although bungee cords are known to be highly elastic (varying with the type of material used), the minimum length is fixed and the maximum length to which bungee cords can be stretched is limited by the elasticity of the bungee cords' material. Many times it is desirable to have variable length cords without cutting the cord to a shorter length or obtaining various lengths of separate cords. Therefore, these bungee cords cannot be adjusted to, on one occasion, mount or secure an object or objects of a first size and shape, then, on another occasion, mount or secure different objects having a much larger or much smaller size. In the past, multiple cords needed to be “linked” together to accomplish this, and/or many cords having a variety of lengths were needed in order to meet these ever changing length requirements.
One very simple solution would be to tie one or more a knots in the cord along its length. This has the disadvantage of having to untie these knots afterwards which may not be an easy affair if the cord had been subjected to considerable tension with the knots tightened on it. Another disadvantage of using knots is that the cord is acting against itself when tensioned thereby subjecting the cord to a certain amount of destructive force.
Various types of adjustable bungee cords have been developed. Many of these adjustable bungee cords, however, suffer from design deficiencies. For example, many adjustable bungee cords include complex components and complicated moving pieces. These complex designs may increase the overall cost and further complicate the process of adjusting and tightening the bungee cords and may also limit the durability. Other adjustable cord designs often fail to properly secure the strap or cord at the desired location, thus allowing the strap or cord to loosen or become detached.
Therefore, it may be desirable to provide an adjustable cargo securing device, such as an adjustable bungee cord that may have a selectively adjustable operative length. Such an adjustable cargo securing device may permit a wider range of functionality, as well as reduce the quantity of bungee cords needed for common applications, such as the transportation of goods/cargo.